Orrville Surrenders Application Before FERC

The City of Orrville, OH, has surrendered its license for the Pike Island hydropower project before FERC.

The project, authorized for 49.5 MW and never constructed, would have been located at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Pike Island Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Ohio County, West Virginia, and Belmont County, Ohio.

A recent progress report filed by GenPower Services, the City’s agent, had stated-

“that it was not feasible to continue project development due to, among other things, unexpected and significant increases in equipment costs, unexpected and significant declines in power market prices, and uncertainty over project schedule due to, among other things, the timing of approval of Project design and construction plans.’

According to the City, it has not received any acceptable offers to purchase the license. The original license for the project had been issued in 1989.

FERC, through a recently published notice, is soliciting comments on the surrender by the City.